Learn to read and pronounce the Sanskrit alphabet in its Roman transliteration. This workshop will familiarize you with the alphabet, numbers, and common words used in teaching yoga classes so you will feel confident using yogic language, chanting, and quoting from texts. We will also discuss the transliteration schema(s) and how easy it is to be led astray by its imperfections, the historical use of the language, energetics, and how compounds such as asana names work. Emphasis will be on proper pronunciation and familiarity with meaning to help memorize asana names.

Dianna Oles’s formal study of yoga began in 2001 with all the major Hatha schools. She has trained extensively with Rod Stryker (Tantra) and Tias Little as well as many other master teachers including an apprenticeship with Gabriel Halpern for therapeutic yoga (Iyengar tradition) and Matt Huish (Shadow/Nadi Yoga). She deepened her practice of meditation, Ayurveda, chanting, and philosophy while living in India for 15 months and has taught in ashrams & meditation centers. Dianna is an unquenchable seeker and shares practices to reconnect with the deep intelligence we all naturally possess. In her classes you will be challenged to cultivate awareness and encouraged to explore from the inside out helping to unify body, mind and spirit. She is an excellent conduit bringing ancient tradition to modern practice. Having earned her MA in Asian Studies, she reads Literary Chinese, Sanskrit and Tamil source texts which continue to inspire her teaching. In addition to teaching and continued study, Dianna works directly with brain-injury patients and their families since 2005 and spends a lot of time soaking in nature.